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aigremoine pubescente, downy agrimony, soft agrimony, soft groovebur

Habit Herbs, 5–16 dm. Herbs, shrubs, or subshrubs.
Roots

tubers ± fusiform.

Stems

with short-stipitate-glandular hairs and pubescent to villous and hirsute (hairs scattered, erect, 2–3 mm, stiff).

Leaves

mid cauline stipules ± broadly 1/2-ovate, margins dentate, apical lobes sometimes attenuate;

major leaflets 3–13 (mid cauline 5–9), minor 1 or 1–3 pairs;

major leaflet blades elliptic or narrowly elliptic to lanceolate, sometimes ± obovate (lateral sometimes ± falcate), terminal largest, largest of these 3.3–9.8 × 1.4–5.5 cm, margins serrate to dentate, apex obtuse to acute or acuminate, abaxial surface rarely with glistening glandular hairs, pubescent to pilose and sparsely hirsute (hairs stiff, 1–2 mm, usually densest along major veins).

alternate, rarely opposite, pinnately compound, sometimes simple or palmately compound;

stipules present, rarely absent.

Inflorescences

axes with short-stipitate-glandular hairs to villous and hirsute (hairs stiff, ± scattered, usually erect proximally and 1–3 mm to ± ascending distally and 1 mm).

Flowers

usually ± alternate.

torus usually enlarged, sometimes small or absent;

carpels 1–260(–450), distinct, free, styles distinct, rarely connate (Roseae);

ovules 1(or 2), collateral (Rubeae) or superposed (Fallugia, Filipendula).

Fruits

achenes or aggregated achenes sometimes with fleshy, urn-shaped hypanthium or enlarged torus, sometimes aggregated drupelets;

styles persistent or deciduous, not elongate (elongate but not plumose in Geum).

Fruiting

hypanthia turbinate to campanulate, 1.9–4.5 × 2–4.6 mm, deeply to shallowly sulcate, hooked bristles in 3–4 circumferential rows, proximal row spreading ± 90° (pressed upward on dried specimens), glandular-hairy, grooves strigose, ridges sparsely hirsute (sepal bases usually pubescent along rim).

x

= 7(8).

Agrimonia pubescens

Rosaceae subfam. rosoideae

Phenology Flowering mid Jul–Sep.
Habitat Edges, open spaces, thickets, deciduous or mixed deciduous woods
Elevation 0–1300 m (0–4300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; CT; DC; DE; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; MA; MD; MI; MN; MO; MS; NC; NE; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OK; PA; RI; SC; SD; TN; TX; VA; VT; WI; WV; ON; QC
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North America; Mexico; Central America; South America; West Indies; Bermuda; Eurasia; Africa; Atlantic Islands; Indian Ocean Islands; Pacific Islands; Australia
Discussion

Agrimonia pubescens includes three recognizable morphs. The principal patterns are: leaves with major leaflets more or less obovate to more or less elliptic, 5–7 leaflets on mid cauline leaves, 1 minor pair; leaves with major leaflets more or less narrowly obovate to elliptic, 7 leaflets on mid cauline leaves, 0–1 or 1–3 minor pairs; and, leaves with major leaflets elliptic to narrowly elliptic or lanceolate, 7–9 leaflets on mid cauline leaves, 0–1 or 1–3 minor pairs. Lateral major leaflets are frequently more or less falcate in morphs two and three. Stipules with attenuate apical lobes are usual in morph three and frequent in morph two. No discontinuities in the variation occur within A. pubescens, and all patterns of variation are found throughout the range. Plants resembling A. microcarpa in major leaflet shape and in the number of major and minor leaflets can usually be identified as A. pubescens by stipule shape, the presence or absence of stiff hairs on mature hypanthia ridges, and/or the lengths of stem hairs. Additional study is needed to establish the phylogeny and perhaps a more precise taxonomy of this species as well as its relationship to A. microcarpa. Eupatorium molle (Torrey & A. Gray) Nieuwland, which pertains here, is illegitimate.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Variation in the number of genera in subfam. Rosoideae is due to differences in generic delimitation between D. Potter et al. (2007) and the authors of some Potentilleae genera. Cyanogenic glycosides and sorbitol are absent in the subfamily.

Tribes 6, genera 28–35, species ca. 1600 (6 tribes, 26 genera, 302 species, including 1 hybrid, in the flora)

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 9, p. 316. FNA vol. 9, p. 23. Author: Luc Brouillet.
Parent taxa Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Agrimonieae > Agrimonia Rosaceae
Sibling taxa
A. gryposepala, A. incisa, A. microcarpa, A. parviflora, A. rostellata, A. striata
Subordinate taxa
Synonyms A. bicknellii, A. eupatoria var. mollis, A. mollis, A. mollis var. bicknellii, A. platycarpa
Name authority Wallroth: Beitr. Bot. 1: 45, plate 1, fig. 7. (1842) Arnott: Botany, 107. (1832)
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